Community

Mission Australia to be the gambling fig leaf

Andrew Barr has announced that Mission Australia will run the Problem Gambling Support Service from 1 July:

In an arrangement unique in Australia, Mission Australia will offer both traditional reactive services to help those already struggling with problem gambling, and proactive services to help those potentially at risk to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand.

Mission Australia will be able to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ to help problem gamblers and their families who are also often affected by the problem. Mission Australia will combine their experience in problem gambling services with the many other services they provide including financial counselling, support services for disadvantaged families and youth, support services for relationships, domestic violence, drug and alcohol misuse, mental illness, housing, and care and learning experiences for disadvantaged children.

To ensure it is able to help as many people as possible the support service will provide a range of contact methods, including face to face, phone, e-mail and on-line including outside normal business hours.

Importantly under this arrangement Mission Australia will work with the Australian National University, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission and industry stakeholders to undertake research on the causes and effective treatment of problem gambling.

One wonders about the title, where would the pokie funded Labor Party be without supporting problem gambling?